Ismailism

Ismailism is a branch of Shia Islam that recognizes Isma'il ibn Ja'far and his descendants as the rightful line of imams. Its communities differ in how they understand the imamate and religious authority.

Shia Islam: Shia Islam is the branch of Islam that holds Ali ibn Abi Talib and his descendants to be the rightful leaders of the Muslim community. Ismailism is one of Shia Islam's major branches.
Kaysanites: The Kaysanites were an early Shia movement that recognized Muhammad ibn al-Hanafiyya as imam. Their distinct succession claim shows the range of early Shia responses to leadership disputes.
Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani: Hamid al-Din al-Kirmani was an Ismaili philosopher and Fatimid da'i active around the turn of the eleventh century. His philosophical writings systematized Fatimid Ismaili theology.
Twelver Shi'ism: Twelver Shi'ism is the largest Shia branch and recognizes a line of twelve imams, ending with Muhammad al-Mahdi. Twelvers reject Isma'il's line and identify Musa al-Kazim as Ja'far al-Sadiq's successor.
Aga Khan Development Network: The Aga Khan Development Network is a group of development agencies founded by the Nizari Ismaili imam to improve quality of life. It expresses the Nizari imam's contemporary commitment to social development.
Imamate: The imamate is the doctrine of divinely guided leadership by imams in Shia Islam. The succession and authority of the imam define Ismaili religious identity.
Abd Allah al-Mahdi Billah: Abd Allah al-Mahdi Billah was the founder and first caliph of the Fatimid dynasty. His rise in 909 established an Ismaili state in North Africa.
Nasir Khusraw: Nasir Khusraw was an eleventh-century Persian poet, philosopher, and Ismaili missionary. His works preserve a major Persian expression of Ismaili thought.
Zaydi Shi'ism: Zaydi Shi'ism is a Shia branch whose imams are descendants of Hasan or Husayn who assert leadership through learning and revolt. Its theory of imamate differs from Ismaili hereditary designation.
Institute of Ismaili Studies: The Institute of Ismaili Studies is a London-based academic institution founded in 1977 to study Muslim cultures and Ismaili heritage. It supports scholarship and educational resources on Ismaili history and thought.

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